Combined fruit-picking sack and measure.



' PATENTED MAY 16; 1905. E. F. DOUGLASS & J. B. HUGHES. COMBINED FRUIT PICKING SACK AND MEASURE.-

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.2. 1904i dnoentoz: fiw "4%- I Gum/mu UNITED STATES Patented May 16, 1905.

PATENT ()FFIGE.

EDWIN F. DOUGLASS AND JOHN B. HUGHES, OF PUEBLO, COLORADO.

COMBINED FRUIT-PIOKING SACK AND MEASURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 790,194, dated May 16, 1905.

Application filed September 2, 1904. Serial No. 223,162.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWIN F. DOUGLASS and JOHN B. HUGHES, citizens of the United States, residing at Pueblo, in the county of Pueblo and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Combined Fruit-PickersSack and Measure; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in receptacles, particularly for use in gathering or picking fruit and the like. In devices of this kind where a bag or basket is carried by the gatherer if the receptacle is of a uniform depth, especially if it will hold a great quantity of fruit. the fruit will become bruised when dropping the same to the lower part of the receptacle or the gatherer is put to the inconvenience of reaching down to the bottom of the sack until quite a number of the articles have been placed therein. To avoid this disadvantage, we are aware that certain collecting-receptacles have been in use wherein the lower end of a bag open at both ends for reception and discharge is adapted to be folded upon itself, whereby a sack of an adjustable depth is obtained.

The principal object of the present invention, however, is to perfect the existing structures by a simplified and more effective arrangement in the use of a particular form of distending means and a particular form of stiffening means at the bottom of the bag adapted in their especial capacities to produce new and useful results.

Another object of the invention is to so dispose the securing means for the lower end of the sack when the sack is folded as to form an adjustable measure for the gathered fruit in addition to the receptacle-proper for containing same.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the following description and will be pointedout more succinctly in the claims, reference also being had to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which- Figure 1 is an elevation of the sack with the lower end broken away. Fig. 2 is an elevation with the upper portion broken away, showing the sack folded and secured in one of its adjusted positions, the flexible means for suspending the same from the wearer being omitted. Fig. 3 is .a detail perspective View of the distending member for the upper end of the sack, and Fig. 4 is a detail plan of the stiffening member for the lower end of the sack.

A designates a bag or sack open at both ends, as illustrated, and provided on one surface with a plurality of books B, preferably snap-hooks, disposed longitudinally of the bag in predetermined positions to form the divisions of a measuring-scale. These divisions are indicated by the lines 1 1, 2 2, and 3 3, Fig. 1, which for the purpose of illustration may be designated as representing one, two, and three pecks, respectively. Opposed to the books on the exterior surface of the bag and adjacent the lower opening thereof is arranged a fastening means adapted to be suspended from the aforesaid hooks when the bag is folded in the proper position. This fastening means preferably comprises an elongated member extending transversely. across the lower open edge of the sack and being provided with a central loop. In the drawings we have illustrated this as comprising a stiffening member made from a single piece of wire O, bent centrally to form a projecting loop or link 0 and bent at its ends in a direction the reverse to the loop 0 to form reinforcing and securing loops 0'. As clearly shown in the dotted lines in Fig. .2, this stilfening member is so secured to the sack that the link portion 0 projects beyond the lower edge of same and for the purpose of neatness and also as a means for holding it in place is provided a fabric covering 0 secured to the sack. The upper end of the sack is held in an open position by a distending member which is preferably of the construction illustrated in Fig. 3, wherein itis made of a single piece of wire bent and secured upon itself to form an enlarged portion D and the depending reinforcing-loop (Z. The manner of securing this distending member to the upper open end of the sack is clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, wherein the portion D is secured beneath the hem a and the loop cl is secured longitudinally on the sack, a cover of flexible material being provided, if desired.

Any convenient means might be used for suspending the sack from the body of the wearer, and for this purpose we have shown the rings a, secured to the sack around the wire forming the enlarged loop D, to which rings 0 are secured the flexible means E,which may be provided at their outer ends with snap-hooks 6, adapted to be secured together around the neck or waist of the wearer; but it is obvious any other arrangement might be employed.

The enlarged loops d in addition to forming a reinforced support for the loop D when the same is secured to the top of the sack accomplishes another important function. An ordinary form of distending means in the nature of a stiff band or wire when applied to a gathering-sack obviously has a tendency to flop over; but by the present invention it will be seen that the enlarged downwardly-projecting loop d will lie flat against the body of the wearer and will always hold the distending-loop D in a normally horizontal position. It is also obvious that the stiffening member at the lower end of the sack accomplishes a very desirable end, inasmuch as extending transversely of the lower open edge of the sack it holds that edge in intimate contact with the surface of the main body of the bag when the same is folded and secured in position, and in addition to this there is no pulling or tearing effect at one particular point, but the strain is distributed substantially along the whole lower edge.

Although the invention has been described with reference to the particular construction illustrated in the drawings, it is not intended to limit the invention to the exact details as shown, as it is obvious, for instance, that the rectangular-shaped loop I) or the particular contour of the loop 05 might be varied to be of an oval, circular, or other contour, and other manifest modifications might be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What we claim is 1. A combined fruit-picking sack and measure comprising a bag open at both ends, ad apted to be folded upon itself for forming a bottom closure and provided with a plurality of hooks on its outer surface, disposed longitudinally of same in a predetermined scale of division,in combination with a stiffening member extending transversely across the lower end of said bag adjacent its bottom opening, on the surface opposite said hooks, said stillening member comprising an elongated strip having enlarged ends and a central eyelet adapted to positively engage one of said hooks when the bag is folded.

2. A combined fruit-picking-sack and measure, comprising a bag open at both ends adapted to be folded upon itself for forming a bottom closure, provided with aplurality of hooks on its outer surface, disposed longitudinally of same in a predetermined scale of division, in combination with a stili'ening member extending transversely across the lower end of said bag adjacent its bottom opening, on the surface opposite said hooks, said stiffening member comprising a single piece of wire bent upon itself centrally to form a loop adapted to positively engage one of said hooks when the bag is folded.

In testimony whereof \ve aliix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

\Vitnesses:

J. R. *Isu'ooNnu, THos. Hom om). 

